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Street-side stalls exempted from copyright fees collected by RS unit for showing World Cup games

The NationApril 23, 2014 1:00 am

RS has appointed its affiliate Thai Copyright Collection (TCC) to take care of the company's Fifa World Cup licensing of restaurants, food courts, karaoke shops, night clubs, pubs, beer gardens, hotels and clubhouses, as well as apartment buildings and electrical-appliance stores.

Small-scale operators such as roadside stalls will, however, be exempt from having to pay copyright fees to show the upcoming international football event.

RS is the sole licensee in Thailand authorised by Fifa to broadcast the 20th Fifa World Cup, which takes place in Brazil from June 12 to July 13.

The company is confident that Thai businesses nowadays generally have a better understanding of the need for a licence to show certain events, and more than 10,000 businesses are expected to file for permission to show the World Cup games on their premises.

TCC director Sutthisak Prasartkarukarn yesterday said his company is in charge of collecting copyright fees on behalf of RS from the usage of licensed matter.

Fifa sees the importance of visual and audio broadcasting of the event, and will be sending its representatives to monitor broadcasts in Thailand.

Any organisation or business - restaurant, food court, karaoke shop, night club, bar, hotel, apartment building, electrical-appliance store or clubhouse, and the outdoor areas of any restaurant, entertainment venue or hotel - that plans to broadcast World Cup programmes for commercial purposes without authorisation, or to use the content as part of promotional offers, whether directly or indirectly, should consult TCC in advance to be informed about the procedures to be followed to stay within the law.

Meanwhile, small businesses such as street-side stalls will not be targeted by TCC, as they will be waived from the copyright-payment requirements.

Sutthisak said cable-TV operators and websites would not be allowed to broadcast the licensed World Cup matter to the public. Any unauthorised use will attract a fine, except for that taking place solely within the home.

"Our legal and monitoring teams consist of more than 300 people, distributed nationwide to check whether there is any violation of our broadcasting rights, starting from May 1. The prices [of a licence to show World Cup content] vary on a case-by-case basis, starting at Bt30,000.

"Authorised businesses must display the permission document in a visible place for the team to verify in coordination with the police. This is to minimise disturbance during the monitoring process and to avoid interrupting the business," he added.